Protective structure for cashier and teller windows



May 12, 1931. F. DAVIS 1,804,677

PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR CASHIER AND TELLER WINDOWS Filed Jan. 28, 19302 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Frm/f fla /J May 12, 1931.

F. DAVIS PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE'FOR CASHIER AND TELLER WINDOWS Filed Jan.28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

v A 7/ 7 mm lll h INVENTQR. F/v/M' flaw/s ATTORNEY.

Patented May 12, 1931 uNiTEn stares PATENT QFFICE FRANK Davis, orBROOKLYN, new YORK PROTECTIVE STRUCTURE FOR CASHIER AND'TELLEE WINDOWSApplication'filed January 28, 1930'. Serial No. 424,093.

, This invention relates, generally, to means means to control theclosing ofthe latter according to I need. i

This invention therefor has for its prin cipal object to provide a novelmeans to guard and protect cashiers, tellers and other F attendantsagainst hold-up or other forms [of banditry; and, to this end, theinvention comprises, in combination with a partition impervious tobullets and having a window opening, a movable bullet-proof windowclosure; slidably related to the Window open- 7 ing, and means formoving the window to closed position, together with a detent means -forreleasing the window for closing movement, said. latter-means beingoperable by exerted by the knee of the operator.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time moreparticularlyrenumerated, will be understood, from the following,detailed description of the same. p

An illustrative embodiment ofthis lnvention is shown in the accompanyingdraW-. V p

, v1ded w 1th a hand grip loop 14 by means of whlch the samemay be, sliddownward to ings, in which Fig. I is a perspective view showing the a w)protective structure, made according tothe principles of this invention;Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section I through the same, with thewindow closure in detained openpositionyand Fig. ,3 is also a verticallongitudinal section showing the detent released andthe window closuremoved to closed position.

Similar characters of reference I are employed in the above describedviews, to"

indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to, the drawings, the reference character 5 indicates apartition'or'proted,

tive panel, having"therein a suitably disposed window opening '6." Saidpartit on or 59 protectivepanel 5 may consist n .an armor bodyrpressure,as, for example, pressure,

;.Pm' Pl9 i alt et e Panel so. as to platemade entirely ofsteel', or thesame may be of any other suitable construction suitably reenforced withmetal or other material calculated to render the same impervious tobullets.

Secured upon the inside face of the partition or protectivepanel 5 aregrooved j amb members 't", one adjacent to each side of the windowopening6, the same being adapted to provide a slideway for a verticallymovable window. closure plateS. Said window closure plate preferablycomprises a steel plate .or other similar body impervious to bullets.Extending between the upper ends of said jamb members 7 is a lintel bar9, and in like manner extending between the lower endsof said jainbmembers 7 is a sill barlO.

Connected with the lower end of the window closure plate sis a cross-bar11, the extremities of which overlap and extend beyond the jamb members7 Secured by their upper ends to anchor. studs 12, which are'fixed tothe partition or protective panel 5, respectively on opposite sidesofrthe amb 75 men'ibers 7, arewindow closure plate actuating springs 13.The lower extremities of said springs 13 are respectively attached to,the laterally projecting endsof saidcross- "bar 11. Saidispringsl? biasthe window so closure plate to closed position.

Said window closure plate is also pronormally loweredposition so as toleave 5 the window opening 6 normally unobinner-side of the partition orprotective panel 5,.and in alignment with the lowerend ofthe windowopening 6 is counter or [shelf 15 Secured to the upper end of the windowclosure plate 8 is a transverse ledge member 16, arranged, when theclosure plate is lowered, tobe aligned in the plane of the counter orshelf 15, so as to provide an uninterruptedv surface extending to andthrough the window openingfi.

tenured upon the exterior face of the iii) bound the window opening 6,is a frame 17 to carry any desired form of grille 18 for dispositionacross the window opening 6. Also secured to the exterior side of thepartition or protective panel is a counter or shelf 19 to projectoutwardly from the window opening in. theplane ofithecounter or shelf VA manipulatable detent means is provided for normally holding thewindowclosure plate in lowered position against the tension of theclosing springs 'zl3, :whereby the with a chan fere'd nosing 23, whichnormally sprin engages over the cross-bar 11 sons to hold the windowclosure plate against upward sliding movement. Said detent'lever 22 isalso provided with a depending arm Connected with the free end portionsof said bearing bracket membersQO are upwardly projecting extensions25.Secured to and extending between said extensions 25 is an angle barSecured to and supported by said angle bar 26, and. aligned oppositesaid detent lever 22, is a fixed housing means 27. Formed in the upperend of sai'd housing means 27 is a bore 281 in which "is mounted aspringactuate'd inwardlyprojected plun 'er rod 29adapted to yieldingly'bear against the upper end of the 'detent lever 22 to normally turn thesame intowindow closure plate, engaging position. Formed in the lowerend of said'housing means 27 is a bore 30 in which is mounted a (ractuated outwardly projected plunger rod 31,'i"or the purposes to besubsequently set forth.

Pivotally connected with the bearing I bracket members 20 is dependingyoke member 32 to which 18 secured apresser board" "3, also dependingtherefrom. Carried on said yoke is a push-piece 34 which extends nwardlybeneath the housing means 27 toward the depending larm'2 1 of-saiddetent lever. Said push-p1ece is provided withan upwardly projecting lug35 which receives the'thrust of said spring actuated plunger rod 31,whereby the yoke member and con-' necte'dfpresser board33 1sn'ormallyswung out-ward to hold the push-piece '34 in normal initialinactive position.

Mounted'above the lintel bar' 9 :of the window closure plateslidewayiare"onejormore k ,s qqkabs be "devices These "d ice m y e' .Q'ianyrsii .abl form operativ to l'cli'eck the closing movement oft'hewin-"' doW closure plate so as to prevent undue noise and shock.Illustrative of one form of check or shock absorber adapted to serve thepurposes mentioned, I have shown the same to comprise a cylinder 36,having at its upper end an air escape opening (not shown), and'reciprocable in said cylinder '36 is a piston'37, the stem 38 of whichslidingly projects through the lower end of the cylinder. The stem38extends downwardly past the lintel bar 9 and terminates in afoot-piece 39, whichsmay,- if-desired,='have. facing of rubber, leather,felt or other similar material calculated todeazd'ensound. A compressionspring 40 engaged around said stem 38 between the foot-piece 89 andcylinder 36 I normally holds said piston, stem and foot-piece in initialdownwardly I moved position. In the use and operation of themechanism,the window closure plate 8 occupies lowered position, being normallyheld therein against -'the-tension ofthe closingsprings l3, h-y thedetent mechanism, alias shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.-*Inthe-eventthatan attendentat the window; opening is 1 threatened byforce of arms in criminal attack'by apersonorpersons outside ofthewindow opening, and at-the point of apistol or gun itisdemanded thatcash Orother valuables be handed out, =the attendant, with hands free togo through'i the' motions of gathering up the oashor other valuables inapparent compliance with v the criminal demand, may bya slight andunnoticeahle: movement of a leg, biting -a*knee to bear with' in'wardlyswinging pressureon the presse'r board 33, to thereby releasethe detenta-ndwvith result ant suddeness freeing the window closure plate"8,whereby thelatterwill in an instant move to closed position, therebyinterposing, V at the winding opening,*a secure bullet proof protectionbetween himself and the'c'riminal, so that the latterscriminalnttempt-fis at "once foiled'. Under such circumstances thedetent, mechanism functions as follows Inward swinging movement of theyoke 'memberandpre'sser board carries the pushpiece34 into inwardlswinging engagement with thearm 24 of tie detent lever 22, thus-=swinging the latter outwardly against the tension of the 'springactuated plungerrod -29,-=whereby the gnosing 23 is removed fromrestrammgengagement wl'th'the cross bar 11 6f the 'window closureplate8l The-winf'dowclosure plate -8- now being unrestrained, -thesprin-g's l3 quickly slides the same-11pward across the window opening6; Asthe wii'idowclosure plate approaehesf the upper 1 end of i the-slide'way, the ledge member 16 'contactswith the foot-pieces of'the'des'cribed checks orshock{absorbers, whereby the comilp t losingof .s'idlclqisurei plate is retarded .jgsp.as :.w;avofdeunduemisegand hock.

in is idesittble in), sound Lan alarm j on 1 the occasion of'c'riininarattaek" such as mentioned above. This may be automaticallyaccomplished, as incidental to the closing of the window opening, byproviding a switch 8 to control an electric alarm circuit (not shown),said switch being normally open but so disposed in the path ofmovementof an end of the closure plate cross-bar 11, as to be engaged and movedthereby to circuit closing position, as the cross bar 11 is car'- riedpast the switch. A switch such as shown in my U. S. Letters Patent No.1,657,459, dated J an. 31, 1928 may be employed, since this type ofswitch is yieldably held in normal open position in such manner as toobviate likelihood of accidental or untimely closure, with resultantuntimely sounding oi'- an alarm.

To reset the window closure plate to normal open position, the same ismanually lowered by means of the handle grip, until the cross-bar 11snaps past the chamt'ered nosing oi? the detent lever 22.

The spring actuated plunger rod 31 returns the yoke member and presserboard to normal outwardly swung position, when inward pressure upon thelatter is released. Another function of said spring actuated plunger rod31 is to hold the presser board outwardly swung under tension sufficientto guard against accidental release of the detent. To this end it willbe noted that the push-piece 34: is normally spaced from the arm 2% ofthe detent lever 22, and consequently pressure must be exerted upon thepresser board 38 sufficient to overcome the tension of spring actuatedplunger rod 81,

before the push-piece 34 engages and exerts tripping or releasingpressure on the detent.

lever.

It will be obvious from the above description that the mechanism of thisinvention provides a very efiicient and easily controlled device forinterposing bullet proof protection between a cashier, telleror otheratten dant, handling and distributingmoney or other valuables, andthreatening criminals The mechanism is especially adapted for use inconnection with bank tellers cages, cashiers and ticket-vendors booths,and for similar uses.

As many changes could be made in the above described structure andmechanism, and many widely different embodiments of this invention.could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intendedthat all matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying closure in normal open position, comprising a pivoteddetent lever, means on said closure engageable by said detent lever, afixed housing adjacent to said detent lever, a spring-pressedplungerfmounted in said housing to yieldably thrust said detent lever.

housing to yieldably thrust said detent lever in closure engagingposition, a swingable means having a laterally extending presser boardengageable by the leg of a person positioned behind the window, andmeans carried by said swingableimeans to engage and turn said detentlever to closure releasing position, andfa second spring-pressed plungermounted in said housing to tensionally hold said swingable means innormal initial position.

' 3. In means to control a self-closing pro-, tective closure for. paywindows, a pivoted detent means toretain said closure in normal openposition, a swingable means having a laterally extending presser boardengageable by the leg of a person positioned behind the window, meanscarried by said swingablc means to engage and turn said detent means toclosure releasing position, a fixed housing, and a spring-pressedplunger mounted in said housing to tensionally thrust said swingablemeans to normal outswung position; i

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this24 day of January, 1930.

FRANK DAVIS.

